Predator on the prowl in Charleswood

Some Charleswood residents believe a wild animal is hunting behind their backyards in a forest filled with deer.

Harold Strom found the carcass of a mauled deer early Monday behind his home on Haney Street. The animal at the time showed predation at the rump and ribcage, he said, but the predator has been back since.

"It came back and it's started eating at the shoulder," he said Wednesday.

Strom suspects the animal responsible is a cougar.

A spokeswoman for Conservation and Water Stewardship said the department's wildlife biologists believe there is a predator but it's more likely to be a coyote.

The department is advising residents to keep their pets on a leash, rather than letting them roam. Homeowners should also clean up any sources of food or garbage that may be left outside.

Wildlife officers aren’t mounting a search for the coyotes.

"At this point, we're not too concerned. We just want to make sure (residents) don’t leave things that might attract other things you don’t want," said wildlife biologist Dean Berezanski.

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